Price tag molding and the manner of attaching same



Sept. 7, 1965 H. J. MARSCHAK 3,204,357

PRICE TAG MOLDING AND THE MANNER OF ATTACHING SAME Filed Dec. 6, 1962INVENTOR.

war/1g United States Patent 3,204,357 PRICE TAG MOLDING AND THE MANNEROF ATTACHING SAME Howard J. Marschak, Evaustou, Ill. (1544 W. ElmdaleAve., Chicago, Ill.) Filed Dec. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 242,736 3 Claims. (Cl.40-16) This invention relates to improvements in price tag molding andto the manner of attaching same to a shelf.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a new and improvedprice tag molding and the means for readily attaching same to the shelf.

Price tag moldings now commonly used are attached to the shelf byfastening elements such as screws and the like, or are permanentlysecured thereto by riveting, welding, and the like. The presentinvention eliminates the foregoing and provides a structure wherein theprice tag molding is shipped disassembled from the shelf, but Which isreadily assembled or attached .to the shelf by the purchaser When theshelving is set up by merely bringing the price tag molding into properposition with respect to the shelf. The interlock-ing of the two takesplace without the use of any extraneous fastening elements. Theconstruction of the price tag molding and the shelf is such that theyprovide a built-in locking means to secure the two together. Thisinvention effects economies in the construction and in the installationnot possible with prior art structures.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this descriptionprogresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a metal shelf forming this invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the trough portion of the shelf.

'FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the price tag molding.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view partly in cross-section of the opposite endsof the shelf and the price tag molding.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view partly in section showing the attachment ofthe price tag molding to the shelf.

The means for supporting the shelves which form the display are notshown herein. Said shelves may be supported in any conventional manner.

The shelf is generally designated by the numeral 10 and is formedpreferably of metal. It includes a top Wall 12, a vertically extendingfront wall 14 bent at right angles to the top wall, a forwardlyextending short connecting wall 16, and an upwardly extending verticalsupporting wall 18 which supports the price tag molding, to besubsequently described. The supporting wall 18 is spaced from the frontwall 14 and is shorter than the front wall 14. The walls 14, 18, andconnecting wall 16 form a generally U-shapcd trough 20 at the front ofthe shelf.

The shelf is provided with vertically extending sides 22 which extendforward of the trough. A reinforcing member generally designated at 24is permanently affixed to the underside of the top wall 12. The verticalsupporting wall 18 is provided along its length with a plurality ofspaced struck-out detents or catch members indicated at 26. Thestruck-out detent or catch member has a one-quarter sphere shape, is outalong the bottom from the supporting wall '18, and extends rearwardly ofsaid wall into the trough 20, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, to form acatch member to which the price tag molding is attached.

The price tag molding for the price tags is generally designated by thenumeral 28 and is an elongated strip formed of extruded aluminum orplastic and shaped as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The price tag molding28 may be made of any desired length, but preferably should be ofsubstantially the length of the shelf. The price tag mold-ing isintegrally formed .to provide a generally curvilinear front wall 30 anda depending leg 32 extending downwardly from and integrally formed withthe upper portion of the front wall and spaced from the lower half ofthe front wall. The leg is a vertical continuation of the upper portionof the wall. The leg is provided with a shoulder or lip 34 extending.the length of the track and leg and is adapted to be engaged by thedetents 26 to lock the price tag molding 28 to the supporting wall 18,which thereby locks it to the shelf.

Extending across the upper portion of the holder 28 is a rounded head 36having a rearwardly extending lip 38 adapted to rest on the shelf and aforwardly extending lip 40. The bottom of the curvilinear front wall 30terminates in an upwardly extending lip 42. The price tag 44 is insertedand retained between the two lips 40 and 42 and rests against .the frontwall 14. The price tag molding 28 may be reduced in weight by providinglongitudinal extending recesses 46. The molding 28 in effect presents aninverted Y-shape configuration in section.

The price tag molding is shipped disconnected or disassembled from theshelf and the purchaser can readily attach it to the shelf bypositioning the molding 28 so that the rear leg 32 is alined with thetrough 20, and when the molding 28 is lowered vertically the rear leg 32will enter the trough and the rearwardly extending lip 38 will come .torest on top of the shelf. The lip 34 on the card track will engage thespaced detents 26 which will permanently lock the molding thereto. Thus,the molding 28 is readily secured to the shelf in a very simple mannerwithout the use of extraneous fastening elements.

With this invention the price tag molding may be shipped detached fromthe shelf section and is readily applied thereto with a minimum ofeffort and in a minimum of time.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a shelf and price tag molding adapted to beattached thereto, said shelf having a horizontal edge with a downwardlydepending front edge flange which is bent forwardly and then upwardly toform an upwardly opening channel including a base and a forward flange,a detent on the inner surface of said forward flange extending inwardly,said molding comprising an elongated strip having a front wallpositioned in front of said shelf front edge flange and provided withspaced forwardly extending upper and lower lips to support a price tagtherebetween, said upper lip being provided with a rearward extensionresting on the horizontal edge of the shelf, a depending leg extendingfrom said front wall in spaced relation to the lower portion of saidfront wall and positioned in said channel rearward-1y of said detent,said depending leg having a forwardly extending shoulder engaging saiddetent to lock said molding to said shelf, said engagement beingadjacent the lower end of said depending leg, said detent and engagedforwardly extending shoulder holding said rearward extension inengagement with the horizontal top edge and preventing vertical movementof said molding with respect to said shelf.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the front wall of the moldingis curvilinear. I

4 3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the forwardly extendingshoulder on the depending leg is continuous and the detents on theforward flange of the shelf are spaced along the length thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,352,100 6/44Hornung 4016 2,608,777 9/52 Schuler 4016 2,730,825 1/56 Wilds .Q 40102,950,554 8/60 Foster 40-16 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,288 3/55 Australia.

JEROME SCHNALL. Primary Examiner.

1. THE COMBINATION OF A SHELF AND PRICE TAG MOLDING ADAPTED TO BEATTACHED THERETO, SAID SHELF HAVING A HORIZONTAL EDGE WITH A DOWNWARDLYDEPENDING FRONT EDGE FLANGE WHICH IS BENT FORWARDLY AND THEN UPWARDLY TOFORM AN UPWARDLY OPENING CHANNEL INCLUDING A BASE AND A FORWARD FLANGE,A DETENT ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID FORWARD FLANGE EXTENDING INWARDLY,SAID MOLDING COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIP HAVING A FRONT WALLPOSITIONED IN FRONT OF SAID SHELF FRONT EDGE FLANGE AND PROVIDED WITHSPACED FORWARDLY EXTENDING UPPER AND LOWER LIPS TO SUPPORT A PRICE TAGTHEREBETWEEN, SAID UPPER LIP BEING PROVIDED WITH A REARWARD EXTENSIONRESTING ON THE HORIZONTAL EDGE OF THE SHELF, A DEPENDING LEG EXTENDINGFROM SAID FRONT WALL IN SPACED RELATION TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAIDFRONT WALL AND POSITIONED IN SAID CHANNEL REARWARDLY OF